Draw-Tite Weight Distribution System is Not Prevent Sag on a 2010 Ford F-150

Question

Question:

I recently purchased and installed the 26102 - Dual Cam HP Sway Control made by Draw-Tite. For the record I did not purchase it from e-trailer.... . I read the instructions as well as watched a youtube video regarding installation. I drive a 2010 Ford F-150 and am pulling a Forest River 28 toy hauler and am using a Draw-Tite 1200 weight distribution hitch with bars. Being that the toy hauler sits high it sways quite a bit. With it loaded with 4 wheelers I am pulling just over 8000 lbs. I have had issues with the back of my truck squatting lower than it should with the load even with a weight distribution system. After installing the sway control I drove it around doing s turns as suggested. Have not noticed a difference in sway so far but then again was not out on the high way. I did notice that the back of the truck sits lower now than before. I did not think that the sway control would help with the truck squatting but did not think it would make it worse either. I have the bottom bolt about 19 inches from the center of the hitch. It was as close to 18 as I could get per the instructions. I had to move the piece that the top of the chain attaches to a few inches to the left so the chain is vertical once attached. I have the inner bolt almost all the way inside the yoke at this point. I thought I heard or saw somewhere that you should always leave at least 5 chain links and not go beyond that. I left 4 links as a test and the back end of the truck was not quite as low but still lower than it should be. I know this is hard to explain. To get within 2-3 inches of being level I had to go up more chain links on the bars to the point where I am not getting the true advantage of the dual cam sway controllers. I looked at air spring assists on your site and a Timbren system in hopes to keep the back end of my truck more level. I read reviews from folks with a Reese weight dist hitch with the same dual cam sway controller. A couple of them were hauling in similar circumstances than mine and were level and have no sway. I suspect I have something not set up correctly. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

asked by: Shawn N

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Expert Reply:

Not every application is going to be able to use the 5 chain links so it isn't critical to have exactly 5 links. Weight distribution set up, especially with a Strait-Line system with dual-cam sway control, takes some fine tuning to get it just right. But once you have it right it will work beautifully.

There seems to be a couple of things going on here. First, it does sound like some things are not quite in the positions they need to be. For best performance you will need to make every effort to place the frame brackets where indicated in the instructions or the system will not be effective.

You can also adjust the angle of the head as needed to put more or less tension on the bars. It can also help keep the bars level with the trailer frame.

If the shank that the ball attaches to does not allow you to tow the trailer level then you could use a different shank with more rise or drop. I have included a link to the Reese shanks for you. I have also included a link to a video that shows installation of a Strait-Line system that should help.

I think if you get everything tweaked just right it will work well for you. You did mention the trailer weighs around 8,000 pounds when loaded. Toy Haulers usually have a high tongue weight; greater than the 10 to 15 percent that is typical for a trailer. So it is possible that the tongue weight of your trailer is 800 to 1600 pounds. And if you are over 1200 pounds then a 1200 pound system would not be effective.

You could add suspension helper springs but I would urge you to first try to get the system you have dialed in to avoid the extra expense. Or if the loaded tongue weight is greater than 1200 pounds then some upgrades would be needed.

expert reply by: Michael H

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